An embodiment of the instant invention is directed to an integrated combination of a slurry hydroprocessing (SHP) process in combination with a solvent deasphalting process.
There is a need in the industry for increased capacity for processing heavy crudes and residua. Moreover, lower cost upgrading technology is needed to enhance the marketability and value of enormous supplies of heavy crudes. Thus enhancements to deasphalting processes would be beneficial to the industry.
Slurry hydroprocessing (SHP) is a technology capable of providing a low cost means for upgrading heavy crudes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,478 describes a method for lowering the viscosity and specific gravity of a heavy hydrocarbon to render it pipelineable comprising adding a vanadium and nickel containing coke fly ash to the heavy hydrocarbon and reacting with a molecular hydrogen containing gas under hydroconversion conditions for a time sufficient to lower the viscosity of the heavy hydrocarbon.
Other patents exist in the literature which deal with hydrotreating followed by solvent deasphalting. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,426 to Krasuk et al describes a process for upgrading feedstocks containing not less than about 200 ppm metals, an API gravity of less than about 20xc2x0, and a Conradson Carbon of more than about 8%, by hydroconversion with hydrogen in the presence of naturally occurring inorganic material as catalyst. The invention further provides for subsequent fractionation of the hydroconverted product and solvent deasphalting the distillation bottoms and optionally hydrodesulfurizing the atmospheric distillates and the mix of vacuum gas oils and deasphalted oils separately.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,365 describes a process for the conversion of an asphaltene-containing hydrocarbonaceous black oil in a catalytic slurry reaction zone where an admixture of converted hydrocarbonaceous oil and unconverted asphaltenes are recycled to the reaction zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,486 describes conversion of asphaltene-containing stocks and product separations. The technique can be integrated into a catalytic slurry process.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,498 describes a slurry process for black oil conversion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,699 describes a process for producing a heavy oil with a low Ramsbottom carbon test from a long resid by a two-stage process comprising catalytic hydrotreatment followed by solvent deasphalting and recycle of the asphalt to the first stage of the catalytic hydrotreatment.
Canadian Patent Application 2175437 is directed to a process for converting heavy crudes by hydrotreating the crude, distilling the products, deasphalting the high boiling fraction obtained in the distillation and recycling the fraction of the deasphalted stream containing asphaltenes, catalyst in slurry phase and possibly coke to the hydrotreating zone.
Numerous other patent and literature references exist which combine slurry hydroprocessing with solvent deasphalting.
What is needed in the art is an improved process which upgrades heavy feeds economically and effectively.
An embodiment of the instant invention is directed to a process comprising the steps of:
(a) slurry hydroprocessing (SHP) of a feed under SHP conditions;
(b) deasphalting, under deasphalting conditions the product obtained from said step (a) and recovering a solvent deasphalted oil and solvent deasphalted rock;
(c) calcining said solvent deasphalted rock at a temperature of xe2x89xa6about 1200xc2x0 F. to produce an ash catalyst precursor;
(d) recycling said ash catalyst precursor to said step (a).